Blooming Begonias

Blooming Begonias

6x6, soft pastel

When looking for a bunch of flowers at the grocery store to purchase for a floral scene, these begonias caught my eye.  I just love the soft yet vibrant colors!  Both of my grandmas had begonias from time to time...their sweet blooms are near and dear to my heart.  (day 30 of the #stradaeasel challenge, previously posted to Facebook on Jan. 30th)

Pitcher of Twigs

Pitcher of Twigs

8x6, soft pastel

This little pitcher of twigs is my reminder that spring is only weeks away!  I painted it as part of the Strada Easel 31 Day Challenge (already shared on Facebook).  The best part for me was painting the crazy vertical light reflection on the pitcher itself.  Hope you enjoy it!

Love At First Sight

Love At First Sight

6x6, soft pastel

It's almost February and with it comes Valentines Day.  I love Valentines Day for one particular reason.   I like to paint cookies and candies especially because SOMEONE has to eat them when I'm finished....and I have a 50% chance of it being me!   The above painting is for a local (silent auction) fundraiser at the Flying M Coffee Shop in downtown Boise to benefit efforts to cure AIDS.  If you're in the local area head on down there to see some amazing artwork!!!  You'll be tempted to put in a bid or two since there are probably over a couple hundred pieces of artwork on display.

Below, are a few pieces completed during the past week for the Strada Easel 31 Day Challenge that I posted to Facebook separately from my blog posts...thought I'd get them included in the blog with this post.  I've recently taken up pen and ink sketching to practice drawing more often...I'm having so much fun with it.    

Have a terrific weekend!!!

A Nap In The Studio

pen and ink

Abandoned But Beautiful

pen and ink

Above The Treeline

pen and ink

Moscow Mule Mug

pen and ink

My Side

6x6, soft pastel

TC and Friends "Fun Times In Idaho"

TC and Friends 

"Fun Times In Idaho"

8x6, soft pastel

TC and her two friends arrived in Idaho a couple days ago.  As soon as they unpacked they were raring to go! They wanted to see the sights in and around Boise.  First on their list was hitting the slopes at the local ski hill, Bogus Basin.  Actually, it was Senor Azul who was most adamant about skiing. He crowed all the way to the top of the mountain.  TC was mildly amused and hen kept peering over the side of the chairlift, certain her chicks would meet an untimely demise.  They all returned to my art studio safe and sound and in one piece (well, ok...three pieces).

TC (aka the Traveling Chicken) is a small ceramic chicken that has traveled the globe since 2012.  She picked up a couple friends along the way and together they visit hosting artists in their studios.  Each artist agrees to create a painting of one or all of them and then pass them on to the next artist.  It was a fun day painting these three goof balls!

Follow TC’s adventures at http://travel-chicken.blogspot.com The painting above is available for sale ($125) on Dailypaintworks at https://www.dailypaintworks.com/artists/Cindy-Gillett-5073/

A Little Sketch

The sketch below is a little project I'm working on...while it's a bit corny, there's certainly more to the back story that I'll reveal tomorrow, assuming I'm able to convert this sketch into an actual painting.  See you tomorrow?

If Vincent Had A Rocker

If Vincent Had A Rocker

6x6, soft pastel

This rocker has been in the family since my youngest brother was small...a good 45+ years ago...so I thought I'd paint it similar to Vincent Van Gogh's chair painting...just for fun.  I included his pipe and tobacco which were in his original painting (even though it seems a bit inappropriate given that my painting is of a child's chair).   Oh well.

A Walk To The River

A Walk To The River

6x6, soft pastel

Some paintings just don't work out and for me, this one didn't...holding back on color is like trying to jump rope with one hand free.  In any event, this one is a scene from Cascade along the Payette River.  If I get the inclination I'll revisit it later and calm it down...for now, it's "finished".   It was daVinci who said "art is never finished, only abandoned"....he was talking about this piece....lol.


For the #stradaeasel 31 Day Challenge I sketched this little abandoned farmhouse below.  The Challenge is a big stretch for me...even though I paint every day, I don't alway sketch in detail from life.  I typically complete a thumbnail sketch and then jump right in and paint.  So I'm tempted to sketch more often...I'm actually finding some value in making a detailed sketch.

Abandoned